Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a switching station for high or medium voltage having a central control device.
Switching stations in high or medium voltage engineering are generally driven through physical control lines which may, for example, be part of a so-called "control technology for switching stations". A wide range of line configurations therefor are described by way of example in an article entitled "Neue Leittechnik fur Schaltanlagen durch Einsatz von Mikrorechnern" [New Control Technology For Switching Stations by Using Microcomputers] in ETG Fachberichte No. 14, bearing the title: "Mikroelektronik in der Energietechnik" [Microelectronics in Power Engineering], pages 22 to 31.
In that case, each branching point of a switching station is respectively assigned a branching device which is supplied with power through an auxiliary voltage supply of the station and is connected to the switching devices through parallel wiring.
European Patent 0 355 532 B1 discloses a configuration for the transmission of data and a supply voltage through a bus line, wherein an application in process engineering is envisaged. In that case, panel devices which are located physically remote from one another can be connected to a remote central station in an intrinsically-safe and explosion-proof manner with little effort. A voltage supply line in the respective station can preferably serve in that case as the bus line.
However, such supply lines are generally afflicted by faults and voltage dips, with the result that in stations which are relevant for safety, reliable data transmission between the respective devices cannot be absolutely ensured. This is particularly critical in the case of use in switching stations for power supply, in which there is additionally the problem of electromagnetic influence.
In German Published, Non-Prosecuted Patent Application 195 20 596 A1, it had already been suggested to provide redundant information transfer through an auxiliary voltage supply in switching stations.